Syracuse Looks To Keep Momentum After Surprising 2013

With Syracuse's 16-10 loss to the Duke Blue Devils, Orange fans bid farewell to a senior class including a number of important leaders on both ends of the field — including first-team All-American JoJo Marasco and second-team All-American Brian Megill, both of them captains. Both were instrumental in helping this rendition of the once-independent powerhouse overachieve, at least if you consider the team's No. 14 preseason ranking in the 2013 Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook.

"They talked to themselves quite a bit about their legacy, and I think that's why they worked so hard and stayed focused all year long," coach John Desko said of his senior class. "From defense to offense, guys were really sponges."

While the coaches credit a lot of success to the players, with Desko considering this team one of the most enjoyable to coach in his time leading the program, the players point to the coaching staff for helping shape what became one of the most difficult offenses to defend.

"I can't say enough about coach Desko and coach (Kevin) Donahue running our offense, really putting it together, trusting our offense," said Marasco, who produced 89 points in his first three seasons before closing out with a 66-point campaign, setting the Syracuse record for assists from the midfield with 42.

Marasco will now be remembered as one of the greats to wear the fabled double-deuce and his senior class as one that rebounded after a tough 2012 season to reach the title game. But of all things, the 2013 Orange season will be remembered for some of the best coaching by the Syracuse staff in the Desko era.

"They knew from day one that we had a very well-rounded offense and a very smart … I think that was the key to our success all year," Marasco said.

That balanced offense grew to become one of the more feared scoring groups in the land, as the Orange fielded 11 players who accumulated 10 or more points by the end of the season. Eight of those players return next season, including the team's offensive quarterback in Kevin Rice (23G, 32A), Dylan Donahue (27, 14 as a redshirt freshman), Derek Maltz (32, 7) and Scott Loy (20, 4), who ran on the first midfield line.

The key to success in 2014 — Syracuse's first year in the hypercompetitive Atlantic Coast Conference — will be managing the team's stable of returners along with a boatload of talent that comes in via the Orange's next class of high school recruits and by way of a handful of elite transfers. Those transfers include two players who were injured prior to the season, including former North Carolina attackman Nicky Galasso, who was granted a medical redshirt, and Johns Hopkins transfer Mike Daniello, who Orange coaches hope will return to action next spring.

"I think it's going to be interesting, especially on the offensive side of the ball to see where everyone gets worked in," said Rice, a junior next season. "We bring our four top attackmen back from this year. I think we all had pretty good years and our offense was pretty good overall. … We're always going to be trying to get the six best players on the field, whether that's at attack or running guys through the box."

That group also includes the player likely to next don the storied No. 22 jersey — Jordan Evans, a Jamesville-DeWitt product who has been key to the Red Rams dominance in the last few seasons, including back-to-back New York State Class B titles in 2010 and 2011.

Evans, who currently has 149 points — head-turning point production in Section III — can run midfield or attack, and could very well find himself running midfield as a freshman. Inside Lacrosse has learned that Evans will play this summer on the same Syracuse City League team as Hakeem Lecky, who is reportedly also looking to play Junior A lacrosse on Akwesasne. Similarly, Rice will be competing in the Shove Park box lacrosse league in Camillus on the same team as Donahue and will also play in the competitive Syracuse City League.

"Look at some of the individuals we'll have and where they come from and what their skills are," Rice said. While coaches cannot comment on recruits or transfers before they are on campus, Rice said he's seen Staats and Evans play and knows that the Orange are potentially getting two additional impact players.

"Randy's a strong dodger from the right wing. Nick is a real nice overall player on the left. I like to work at X. Derek and Dylan are amazing finishers. (Hakeem) Lecky's got speed for days. Schoony (Henry Schoonmaker) and Loy are great outside shooters. As a whole, it could look pretty scary. Hopefully we can use the fall to mesh together. It's going to be filling out process. There's a lot of talent, but everyone knows there's only one ball. … I've heard Randy has played middie before, and I'm sure Evans can play middie too. Everyone will get time somewhere."

With so many players projected to make an impact, and with as lofty expectations as ever, Rice believe the team next season will need the same selfless character exemplified by the 2013 Orange. And if the players can work their way into assistant coach Donahue's system, Rice says they will have the opportunity to show what they are made of.

"That's one of the big things our returners will have to do. This year, our seniors on offense made everyone understand that you have to be unselfish to win. Winning is more important than putting up whatever numbers you want. … Coach Donahue's offense is a system, but it also gives us a lot of opportunities to freelance and use our skillsets well."

Defensively, Syracuse will enter 2014 with a solid returning group featuring two outstanding longsticks in Matt Harris and Peter Macartney, experienced close defenders in Mullins and Sean Young and backstop Dominic Lamolinara, who made significant leaps in 2013. Firman projects as an immediate impact player, and the Orange get another standout transfer from Onondaga in Niko Manning, a second-team NJCAA All-American in 2013. But the Orange's short-stick defensive midfield takes a hit, with the departure of Steven Ianzito and OCC transfer Matt Pratt.

Drew Jenkins worked his way into the third spot on the SSDM depth chart, and despite his smaller stature, became a dependable defender down the stretch. Former high-flying Carthage standout Thomas Grimm was also groomed at the position, which could help him make an impact as a two-way player.

Potentially looking to a few newcomers to fill out this position, the Orange bring in perhaps one of the more underrated midfielders to come out of Section III in recent seasons in Ryan Simmons, the son of Syracuse director of lacrosse operations Roy Simmons III. A multi-sport athlete, Simmons was teammates with Weston this past spring at the Salisbury School. A few other incoming recruits — Syrrus Nash (Tully, N.Y.), Tommy Hollenbeck (Belair, Md.) and Spencer Schmidt (Cathedral Catholic, Calif.) — could also be asked to play short-stick defense.

"It's an old cliche to talk about reloading," says Syracuse assistant Lelan Rogers. "But this is why you recruit. And you just have to change as you go. You hope that the classes you bring in can learn and know what they need to do to continue the success we had this season."